Common Sense Clones: Price and Performance in PC‐Compatible Computers Available to Purchase

PC clones are well suited to anyone who has uses for IBM‐compatible software and is not over‐awed by those three magic letters. Clones now hold a much larger microcomputer market share than IBM. They frequently offer more power and better features, almost always at a much better price. But clones vary greatly in quality, reliability, and even compatibility. A potential purchaser of a clone should read reviews, and, if possible, run less well‐known clones through a series of tests prior to purchasing one. Crawford details a series of tests that were conducted by The Research Libraries Group, Inc., when it evaluated clones to serve as terminal replacements. These tests were designed to evaluate compatibility, quality of manufacturing, reliability of components, speed, and related characteristics. The results of those tests, when applied to several XT‐ and AT‐compatible clones, are presented.